Category Archives: Events

Opening 11th August 2018 as part of the Big Summer Get Together at the rill area of The Hidden Gardens, Wildscope is a permanent outdoor exhibition marking The Hidden Gardens 15th anniversary, featuring a series of newly commissioned artworks by Zoe Pearson.

We interviewed both Zoe and the curator Yi-An Shiau who has placed the work in the context of new materialsm and craftivism.

What is the exhibition about?

Zoe explained that the exhibition is about Taoism, the Bagua map and is related to Feng Shui. Basically the rill area is separated into four sections based on the compass points of North, South, East and West. The Bagua Map organises the elements, concepts such as nature, environment and surroundings; it is similar to the Islamic Garden design.

The pieces made are intended for visitors to explore the area more, with different perspectives.

Yi-An said she believes Zoe’s work ‘is very special and invites people to build their sensory experiences.’ Adding that ‘New Materialism thinks about perspective, non-human entities and also materials, how the materials are felt and expressed by the artist.’

There are four installations:

The Bird Bath Bowl, in collaboration with ceramist Ele Paul. The bowl holds water which is linked to North on the Bagua Map and is intended for animals of the Gardens to use, and people to use as an opportunity to reflect and observe.

The Learning Log was carved by Zoe as a tactile piece to emphasise the qualities of the wood so people can feel it with their hands and pick it up. ‘There is a balance to the piece, so when someone sits on it or touches it, or explores it with their hands, the weight and shape of the log is collaboration between a persons movements and touch, and the material of the wood. A mutual understanding is formed with interacting with the log. The piece suits all ages.

The Living Mountain is an ‘insect hotel’, a pile of logs and hollowed out trunk. It is put together with plants on top of it for insects to live. Related to the West on the Bagua Map, ‘The theme of unseen assistance and the idea is that insects provide pollination, food for birds etc. They assist the environment in many different ways most of us may be unaware of. It is an environment for insects and allows people a view into the world of insects.’

The Recycled Rug is a knotted rug made out of odd plastic bags, representing the East of the Bagua Map, and ‘signifies family and group strength and support. Using plastic (something that is wasted) and turning it into something that is useful and attractive. Giving discarded materials a life and story and the rug is a continuation of the use of storytelling in the Garden previously. the Recycled Rug opens up a new dialogue about using waste and creates a platform to discuss the common thing in their daily life.’

Presented as part of the 2018 Graduate Deegree Show of the MLitt Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art) course programme, established jointly by the Glasgow School of Art and the University of Glasgow.

Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers who potted on numerous plants and took charge of organising a really fantastic plant and wildlife activity stall at Bungo in the Back Lanes raising over £150 for The Hidden Gardens.

One of our flatbread making workshops during Mela on Your Doorstep – looks good!

Thanks to everyone who came along to our Mela on Your Doorstep event on Saturday. We had a great time, and we hope you did too! Lots of fun events took place, including some cookery workshops where you could learn how to make your own chapatis, soda farls, and piadina. Delicious!

For those of you who were unable to make it, you can take part in one of our flatbread making workshops in your very own kitchen by following these recipes. Which flatbread is your favourite?

We were delighted to host Interfaith Glasgow‘s first in a series of Southside Interfaith meals last night, part of National Inter Faith Week celebrations. The Hidden Gardens Men’s Cultural Cookery group kindly volunteered their time to cater for the event, cooking a delicious vegetarian feast including: mint tea (harvested from the Gardens); pea and potato pakora served with coconut chutney; spinach and chickpea curry with raita and couscous with roast cherry tomatoes, and finally Moroccan rice pudding with fruit salad. The good food was accompanied by good conversation, and guests shared their thoughts of the evening on coloured leaves. These leaves will be collected after every meal and shared on a tree following the culmination of the meals later in 2015.

Last night the Hidden Gardens hosted the first in our series of interfaith community meals. The aim of these meals is to bring together people from different religious communities in the South East of Glasgow to share good food and good conversation in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Last night’s guests included members of the Muslim (Sunni and Shia), Baha’i, Christian, Buddhist, and Sikh traditions. Delicious food was prepared by the Hidden Gardens’ cooking group and presented in an ambient setting conducive to dialogue on the theme of faith and nature. One guest wrote: “It is a fantastic event, I enjoyed the discussion at my table. … [F]aith should bring people together rather than separate them”. Our thanks go to The South East Integration Network (for funding this community meals project), the Hidden Gardens, and all the attendees for making last night so special.

Many thanks to the young film-makers, our volunteers, and everyone who came along for the screening, discussion, and delicious food. For those of you who couldn’t make it along, we’ll be uploading the films to our website next month. Keep your eyes peeled!

Join us for a twilight bike-powered film premiere, followed a discussion and home-made soup, at The Hidden Gardens

Produced by local young people, these short films depict community events that took place in The Hidden Gardens over the summer: our Mandela Celebration, and the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival. The screenings will be followed by a lively discussion over tasty homemade soup, made by our Cultural Cookery volunteers!

The young film makers have captured the atmosphere and significance of the two recent events: our Mandela Celebration, a celebration of volunteering; and the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival in which 500 young people from across the Commonwealth performed in Tramway and the Hidden Gardens. The films have common themes of ‘welcome’, ‘friendship’ and ‘peaceful togetherness’.

The discussion will include time for us all to reflect on the impact of the ‘call to action’ launched at the Mandela Celebration to “Pledge 67 minutes to your community through volunteering”. We will be asking what are the needs of the community that volunteering can fulfil, what creative ways there are to use volunteers, and what action people want to take next. We hope you can join us for this fascinating event.

Join us in The Hidden Gardens as we host a variety of fun family activities inspired by our fine feathered friends! These are all drop-in activities so places are limited. No booking required.

Design your own bird nest box, The Boilerhouse
Decorate and take home your very own miniature bird nest box – the sky’s the limit as to how creative you want to be!
12.15-1.00pm
1.15-2.00pm
2.45-3.30pm

Make your own birdfeeder, The Boilerhouse Courtyard
Learn how to make practical bird-feeders to provide food over the cold winter months.
1.15-2.00pm
2.15-3.00pm
3.15-4.00pm

Storytelling, meet in Tramway at the green entrance door to the Gardens
Hear the story of the Parliament of the Birds with our storyteller
12.30-1.15pm
1.30-2.15pm
2.45-3.30pm